How to Come Up With a Mascot Name

How to Come Up With a Mascot Name

One of the most common questions you’ll hear at an event where you’re mascot is there, representing your team or company, is ‘what’s his/her name?’ That’s because people instantly connect to a mascot character and just as with any other friend or acquaintance, they want to know what to call it. If you’ve made a significant investment to have a well-designed mascot costume, it’s really important to give it a name.

A mascot with a name creates a stronger bond with the public. It gives it an identity beyond just ‘green monster’ or ‘brown dog’. But what name should you choose. To help guide you, here are a few tips for finding inspiration for your mascot’s name.

Create a name that speaks directly to what your business does.

BODY: The name ‘Homer’ is a great name for a house mascot that represents a mortgage provider or real estate office. Similarly, the name ‘Artie’ could be an obvious choice for an art school, arts festival or gallery. Perhaps you want the name to reflect something that your company is known for. An example would be Speedy – a mascot that represents a company that does instant oil changes.

Pick a name that reflects the character design

Sometimes you can create a name based on what the mascot is, for instance if you have a Spartan mascot, the name Sparty might be an obvious choice. If your mascot is an eagle, hawk or something similar, you might consider the name Talon. How about Bucky for a beaver mascot? These names say something specific about what the character is, but condensed into a first name.

What sounds good?

It doesn’t have to be complicated either. Sometimes, just picking a name that flows with the character is all you need. Good examples of this are Sammy the Seagull, Pelican Pete or Flynn the Fox.

To create the perfect mascot name, think about what it represents, your location, name of your founder or just something fun and quirky. Get other people involved – maybe even have a naming contest! Whatever name you pick, it will ensure your mascot gets remembered by everyone who meets it.